Yesterday was a banner day for us. Logan agreed to watch Star Wars Episode IV for the very first time! You see, we have been gently working on him to watch it with us for quite some time. Logan is self-educated when it comes to the intricacies of the whole Star Wars experience. He reads books, researches the stories provided by Lego Star Wars online at Lego.com, and asks Chris and I question after question…sometimes even stumping us with topics involving The Clone Wars and characters that we’ve actually learned from him!

We naturally thought he would be jazzed to get to watch the actual movie of Star Wars when we felt like he was old enough. But, when he turned down our offer time and time again over the past year, we were confused. The thing of it was, was that he liked entertaining what his own imagination came up with and didn’t want to cloud that up with the real thing. I get it. For us grown-ups its probably like what we went through after reading Harry Potter and then watching it on the big screen.

Well, yesterday was the big day, finally, and we were all very excited. Even Eli, who is beginning to know almost as much as big brother! It was a right of passage for (especially) Logan. A moment that many parents of my generation must anticipate from the day their children are born. How soon can my child experience Star Wars? OK, OK…too extreme? Maybe so … maybe not?

Here are five things that we took away from watching Star Wars Episode IV with the boys. And, just so you know, it has been many a year since I last saw it and had forgotten some details.

1. Logan was most hung up on the fact that Obi-Wan Kenobi is killed by Darth Vader. This was not something that he expected or had previously learned about. Logan just can’t seem to understand where Obi-Wan’s body disappeared to! After the lightsaber swipe by Darth Vader, his body simply vanishes, leaving only his cloak and light saber. As his parents, we explained that Luke would surely encounter the spirit of Obi-Wan again and hear his voice in his mind. This took a few times of repeating, but Logan eventually accepted it.

2. Eli was most excited to see Luke Skywalker. After having first mistaken him for Anakin, (“But he’s the white guy!”). What does that mean, exactly? White clothing? Light hair and skin? Unknown. Regardless, he was glad to see that Luke is a good-guy.

3. I happen to have been caught up, personally, by the fact that Princess Leia appeared to have forgotten to put on her bra…or could use one with more support, maybe? Maybe it was a sign of the times (1977) when the movie was made that it didn’t seem to be an issue? Maybe it was George Lucas’s teeny tiny effort to add a dash of provocative? Oh wait, I think we see that when Leia is captured by Jabba the Hut in Return of the Jedi. Am I being blasphemous by even noting this detail? What can I say, as an adult woman, I am certain that had I been trouncing around in a trash heap, racing around aside the dashing Han Solo, all the while trying to escape with the secret plans to destroy the Death Star, I might prefer a little more support. But that’s just me. (And, I’m sorry if that was offensive…I know this is a family site, but I’m pretty certain that no children are reading this and I think the majority of my readers are of the female variety…I think.).

4. Logan was very cognizant of the fact that Luke and Leia are brother and sister and kept asking if they knew it themselves, yet.

5. Speaking of Luke and Leia being siblings, I think it is quite obvious by the way they yell the same! Especially while in the trash heap! So loud and whiny (with all due respect…I can only imagine the sound that might exit my mouth if I were in a shrinking trash heap!). I asked my boys if we should try and yell our words to one another for the rest of the day. We agreed not to!

So, there you have it. Five little bits about our experience watching Star Wars Episode IV for the first time together. Do you remember your first time? What about your kids? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments!

May the Force Be With You!